About the Author

Born in Togo, Kpomassie subsequently left his native Africa and
traveled to the north of Greenland in a journey that lasted ten
years. An African in Greenland, an autobiography that
chronicles his journey, was awarded the Prix Litt raire Francophone
International in 1981, and its English translation was one of
The New York Times' Notable Books of the Year in 1983.
Kpomassie has written numerous articles and short stories for
French publications. Al Alvarez is the author of Risky
Business, a selection of essays, many of which first appeared
in The New York Review of Books. James Kirkup (1918-2009)
was a prolific English poet, translator and travel writer. He
became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.